USS Investment Management Ltd Sells 5,516 Shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG)

USS Investment Management Ltd cut its position in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG - Free Report) by 7.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 66,372 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 5,516 shares during the period. USS Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Republic Services were worth $13,354,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Republic Services by 37.5% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 17,682 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $3,586,000 after purchasing an additional 4,827 shares during the last quarter. DnB Asset Management AS boosted its stake in Republic Services by 65.1% during the 4th quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 72,931 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $14,672,000 after purchasing an additional 28,764 shares during the last quarter. Hickory Point Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Republic Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $790,000. Uniting Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Republic Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $266,000. Finally, EULAV Asset Management boosted its stake in Republic Services by 41.7% during the 4th quarter. EULAV Asset Management now owns 390,458 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $78,552,000 after purchasing an additional 115,000 shares during the last quarter. 57.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Republic Services Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:RSG traded up $1.79 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $252.79. The company had a trading volume of 1,074,391 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,127,159. The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market cap of $79.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.95, a PEG ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.66. The company's 50-day moving average price is $242.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $225.72. Republic Services, Inc. has a one year low of $180.92 and a one year high of $253.76.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The business services provider reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.53 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $4.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.08 billion. Republic Services had a net margin of 12.74% and a return on equity of 18.28%. Republic Services's revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.45 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Republic Services, Inc. will post 6.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.58 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 2nd. This represents a $2.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.92%. Republic Services's payout ratio is 34.99%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on RSG. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Republic Services from $240.00 to $257.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Argus set a $260.00 price target on Republic Services in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Republic Services from $229.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Republic Services from $232.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Republic Services from $239.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $250.44.

About Republic Services

Republic Services, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers environmental services in the United States and Canada. It is involved in the collection and processing of recyclable, solid waste, and industrial waste materials; transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous waste streams; and other environmental solutions.